Sasha Starling
Biography Born in Berlin, her family brought her to America at the age of twelve. Her father was a biologist and they moved with the grants for his research. She lived all along the west coast, from California to norther British Columbia. They finally settled in Seattle when she was seventeen where her father accepted a professorship and the university. Sascha graduated with honors and shortly after went onto Harvard after which she went on to practice corporate law in a profitable firm. This was the stepping stone that prepared to her to become director-primus of one of the most powerful corporations in the country and possibly the world. Few people and even few women attain such power but she wears it well. One of her secrets to success has been never to compromise her morals where men are concerned. She deplores the use of 'feminine whiles' to manipulate people via their primitive urges. Balance and control are the key to a successful life and she is living testimony to this philosophy. She lives her life by the code of akido and tempers it with the doctrine of yoga and believes that this is the way of the future, the template for the new age. She has transformed the N.W.S.I. to reflect these ancient values that she lives her life by and preaches. Normally such people are regarded as flakes by society, and rightly so, as like so many these beliefs are but a crutch, but to Sascha Starling they are hammer with which she intends to stamp out the scourge that pollute society. She sees the corporate conglomerate not only as the foundation of the country, but a beacon to light the way to a better world. She believes in living by example and thus she makes sure that everyone in the NWSI performs at least an hour of tai chi or yoga during their day and provides mandatory classes in self-defense and meditation. Before the NWSI can change the world it must first change within! Elegant, mature and sophisticated. This best describes the director-primus on a good day but heaven forbid one encounters her on a bad one. She can be as ruthless as she is beautiful, but far be it from her to lower herself to the childish banter of politicians. Sascha picks and choose her words carefully and always... always follows through on them. In the corporate world she is referred simply as the 'Primus', a title used out of both respect and loathing depending on whom one speaks with. Generally, though, she is widely respected and when people speak in hushed tones of reaffirming a president her name comes to mind. She is not above taking action to further her cause, and many a time has Sascha embraced the way of the warrior to forge ahead. The ignorant, chauvinistic will of men is a common instigator, and a few times she has taken it upon herself to personally rid the world of the nuisances. As the highest power in the NWSI she can make people disappear and ensure her privacy in such matters, but she is not ignorant to the fact that walls have ears. Her privacy is of the up most importance. Not only would the discovery of her being self appointed judge, jury and executioner of several influential business men be detrimental to her career but the exposure of her being a Meta-human would as well. She has not trust in the 'registry'. Such exposure would only be used against her, and though she longs to speak against it realizes that she has to advocate the cataloging to maintain her popularity. Sascha admires the Celtic Queen Boudicca and in many ways emulates her. She believes that one day, the NWSI will control a greater part of the entire world. These lofty ambitions, however, do not ever cloud her judgment, she always maintains focus and clarity of thought, even in the most dire of situations. This she believes is truly one of her greatest gifts and has turned it into a motto of the corporation: 'In the darkest corner, we see the light.' Appearance Hgt: 5'7" • Wgt: 133 lbs • Eyes: Frosty Blue • Hair: Blond Sasha is a German National and still bears a slight accent of her native country. She is extremely beautiful, a striking woman with the bold, intimidating, charismatic features of an alpha female. She is always dressed to perfection when out in a public, rarely dressing down. Despite the recommendations of her public relations team, Sasha still has gotten a few tattoos. The symbol of creation on her right shoulder and the N.W.S.I emblem on her left. She also has an ornate tree of life on her back in rich sienna and olive green tones. Skills Education Harvard. Ph.D Microbiology. Masters in Corporate Law and Bioinformatics. Languages English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Norwegian. Abilities She devotes a good portion of her life to the study of Akido, 'The Way of Harmony of the Spirit' as well as the practice of Yoga. In both disciplines as she has achieved very high rankings, although in her martial art she maintains the title of a Schichidan, a seventh dan Shihan or master instructor as she does not believe she has earned the right to be called a Hachidan. At her level she is naturally a master of all three weapons known to the style: short staff (jo), wooden sword (bokken), and knife (tanto), but she specifically excels at the use of the bokken, knowledge and skill which easily translates to it to it's edged counterpart. Yoga, allows Sascha to free her mind. This discipline combined with Akido has allowed her to tap into her Meta Abilities and use them to their fullest extent. Purification & Healing She is able to stave off the effects of all toxins and continue to exert her body to fullest extent. She can do this for close to an hour, perhaps longer if necessary until she is able to achieve a meditative trance through which she is able to purge all poisons and viruses from her body. This ability thus makes it virtually impossible for her to contract any of the three viruses. It is also during this state, that Sascha is able to heal wounds. Even the most fatal wounds will mend and vanish without trace of a scar, a process which may take several hours or even days depending upon the severity of the damage. Long Breath She is able to hold her breath for an extended period of time. Up to an hour while physically stressed and close to four hours while calm. Remote Viewing During a meditative state (and only when in this state), Sascha can free her mind and travel beyond her body. She is able to go where ever she wishes and eavesdrop on other's private lives, however, this ability is not fool proof. This clairvoyance and clairaudience is in fact, like all telepathic abilities an invasion of the mind and subject to the natural defenses possessed by all Humans and Non-Humans alike. It would be illogical to consider otherwise, that a higher functioning brain, an untapped reservoir of wondrous mysteries would not hold defenses against such uncommon threats. Time is a factor. The longer she lingers and the more details she attempt to see and hear threatens her clarity and once the person(s) she spies upon get's that paranoid feeling, like 'they are being watched', it's game over. She is pushed away and cannot return to that location or person for some time (literally until the autonomic defenses of the brain forget about that particular 'psychic' intrusion). Precognition This is actually a heightened state of her 'Remote Viewing'. It is very unpredictable and provides her only with 'mystic clues' of what the future of a particular may lead. The indicators are extremely vague, but may provide guidance. Resilience Sascha also ages far slower than a Human. She looks good for her age and will look even better at fifty but she knows this trait will eventually expose her for what she is. Category:Characters Category:NWSI